Govt proposes to amend Senior Citizens Act

By A Staff Reporter

Kathmandu, Jan. 12: The government has proposed to amend the Senior Citizens Act with a provision that each individual holding the public post should deposit certain amount of their income in the bank accounts of their parents every month. The government has tabled a bill in the Upper House to revise the Act proposing the provision to economically support the senior citizens aged above 60 years by depositing certain amount in their bank accounts every month.The bill, however, is silent about the amount to be deposited for the parents. But a preliminary document of the bill has a provision to deposit 10 per cent of the income in the bank accounts of the parents.The bill has proposed to determine the amount later through a directive or regulation after the endorsement of the bill. According to the proposed bill, besides the persons holding the public post, individuals drawing salary from international and inter-governmental organisations as well as companies established as per the current law also have to deposit certain amount in the bank account of their parents. Similarly, the citizens earning money more than the certain limitation from their own entrepreneurship, including trade and business, also have to deposit a certain amount in the bank account of their parents aged above 60 years. Likewise, individuals receiving pension after retirement also have to provide certain amount to their parents through bank. If the parents are living separated, the sons need to pay either of them, according to the Bill.However, the bill will not be applicable to those whose parents are receiving regular salary, pension or involved in self-entrepreneurship. Furthermore, the bill has proposed punishment for the individuals violating the law regarding the financial support to their parents.